PAYALLUP, Washington (Isabelle Zehnder reporting) - In an exclusive, not seen before interview with Dateline's Keith Morrison, Josh Powell said everything had changed and he didn’t think tension with his missing wife, Susan Cox Powell’s family, would be conducive to a good marriage if she ever returned.much more at: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Thanks for posting that article raine. I didn't see the Dateline Interview; glad to read the transcript in the article.

Josh Powell is just not bright. Period. He is a dim man, imo. It took him some time to realize that "everything has changed" after his wife supposedly vanished into thin air? He's now thinking maybe their marriage would be difficult if she returned, because of his in-laws, of course. So weird.

I wish Susan would be found. I wish Steve Powell would crack in prison (if he wasn't involved in Susan's disappearance, he knows all about it, imo).

Reference: Dateline Transcript (excerpt):Keith Morrison: So if she walked in through the door tomorrow what would you say to her?

Josh Powell: I guess I’d ask her how she’s been, where she’s been, what happened? And tell her that she … and tell her that I love her. But honestly everything has changed with the in-laws, with the Cox family creating so much tension.

Keith Morrison: So everything has changed?

Josh Powell: It really does create some, creates a problem in our marriage.

Keith Morrison: So you’re saying maybe you and Susan couldn’t be married anymore? Even if she came back?

Josh Powell: I don’t think that having this kind of tension with the family, I don’t think it’s conducive to a good and positive marriage and that’s something that’s added a lot to my mourning. I’ve had to grieve the fact that at some point I recognized that everything has changed.

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Police this year conducted public searches for any sign of Susan Cox Powell, using cadaver dogs to search the vast desert around Topaz Mountain in Utah and rappelling into scores of mine shafts near Ely, Nev.

They also served a search warrant on the Puyallup home of the father of Josh Powell, the missing woman’s husband and the only person police have identified as a person of interest in the disappearance.

Finding any remains would end the 2-year-old mystery of Susan Powell’s disappearance, giving her family answers and providing something else: evidence.

But in the absence of discovering a body, putting together a criminal case in connection with Powell’s disappearance is a lot tougher.

Josh Powell has said he last saw his wife Dec. 6, 2009, as he left her at their West Valley City home and took their sons, then ages 2 and 4, on a late-night camping trip in the family’s blue minivan.

A neighbor reported Susan Powell missing the next day.

Josh Powell has denied any role in his wife’s disappearance. Her parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, have accused him of being involved in her disappearance and pointed to the couple’s rocky marriage.

Police have said little about what evidence exists in the case, but University of Utah law professor Daniel Medwed said the lack of a body would make it difficult, but not impossible, to file a murder charge.

“You basically need to have a mountain of circumstantial evidence,” Medwed said.

That circumstantial evidence would have to show the person is dead, was murdered and who did it. But a murder case with no body creates an obvious counterargument for the defendant.

“I could envision a defense attorney here saying: ‘Well ... we don’t have a body. We don’t even know that she’s dead,’” Medwed said.

Police are still waiting for laboratory testing of ashes discovered by cadaver dogs during the Topaz Mountain search that may contain human remains, said West Valley City Police Chief Buzz Nielsen.

They also are continuing to sort through a trailer full of evidence taken from the Puyallup home, he said.

No other searches are planned, but Nielsen said he remains confident the case will be solved.

“We’re going to get there,” he said.

Utah prosecutors have filed murder charges without a body before.

The last was that of victim Joyce Yost and defendant Douglas Lovell. In 1985, Lovell was charged with raping Yost, but she disappeared 10 days before she was to testify at trial.

Prosecutors didn’t charge Lovell with Yost’s murder until 1992. Lovell’s wife testified he hated Yost for accusing him of rape and broke into Yost’s South Ogden home, murdered her and buried her body.

After pleading guilty to murder, Lovell took police to where he said he buried Yost, but her body has never been found.

A judge sentenced Lovell to death, but in 2010, the Utah Supreme Court said Lovell should have been better informed of his rights and allowed Lovell to withdraw his guilty plea. A new trial date has not been scheduled.

Prosecutors in Denver last year charged a man with murdering a business partner even though they didn’t have the victim’s body. Police found a crime scene in which they found evidence of a murder.

A year after the charges were filed, a person walking a dog found the victim’s body along Interstate 70 near Cisco, Utah. A trial is scheduled for February.

There’s no indication West Valley City police have a witness like in the Yost murder or have found a crime scene like that in the Denver case.

Josh Powell, who has not responded to media interview requests since his father was arrested in Pierce County on unrelated voyeurism charges in September, has previously said he had nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance and that she ran away.

Medwed, the Utah law professor, commended police and prosecutors for taking their time with the Powell investigation.

“Even if the public might be anxious for some developments, I think it’s always good for the investigation to proceed as thoroughly and careful as possible,” he said.

Nielsen declined to say what information sent his officers to the desert locations this summer, but detectives continue to investigation tips and leads.

“Every one of those searches, there was a reason we went out there,” he said.

GRAHAM, Wash. – An explosion occurred this afternoon at the home of Josh Powell.Graham Deputy Fire Chief Gary Franz said at about a quarter to one, Powell was having a home visitation with his two young boys when the caseworker – who was outside - smelled gas. A short time later the home exploded.Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and discovered the bodies of what appear to be two children, Franz said.Powell has not been located.On Wednesday, a Washington judge ruled that the children must remain in the custody of her parents. The judge further said she won't consider returning the two boys to their father until he undergoes a psycho-sexual evaluation.

Powell has been attempting to regain custody.The children have been living with Chuck and Judy Cox since Josh Powell's father Steven was arrested on child porn and voyeurism charges last fall.The judge continued Powell's twice weekly supervised visits with the boys.

I have to leave and I couldnt post the articleWrap or someone please post this asapIt looks like Josh Powell killed himself and the children on purposemy god Im shock![You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Last edited by Wrapitup on Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:49 pm; edited 6 times in total (Reason for editing : I added Lilone picture to this post)

Josh Powell and two children were killed Sunday afternoon in an explosion at the Graham-area house where Powell was living.

Neighbors reported the explosion at the house in the 8100 block of 188th Street Court East to authorities at about 12:30 p.m.

Graham fire spokesman Gary Franz confirmed that Powell had been living at the house.

When firefighters first arrived, they were unable to locate Powell, but Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ed Troyer later said Powell was found dead.

According to KIRO 7 news partner The News Tribune, Powell had a supervised visit Sunday with his sons. A social worker dropped off the children but wasn’t allowed inside the home. The explosion occurred sometime afterward.

On Wednesday, a judge denied custody to Powell of his two children after allegations developed.

More than two years after his wife, Susan Powell, vanished, Powell has come under increased scrutiny because of child porn allegations against his father and questions about his own behavior.

Allegations of sexually explicit images found on one of Powell's compters more than two years ago have caused the Department of Social and Health Services to ask more questions about what had been going on in his home.

The Associated Press GRAHAM, Wash. — An explosion at a Washington state home has killed Josh Powell, the husband of a missing Utah woman, plus their two young sons, officials said Sunday.

The explosion occurred moments after a Child Protective Services worker brought the two boys to the home for a supervised visit, Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz told The Associated Press.

Powell let the boys in the house, then blocked the social worker from entering. The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and the home exploded.

“Everything we know right now, this has become a crime scene,” Franz said.

Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife, Susan Powell, from their West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009. He claimed he had taken the boys on a midnight excursion in freezing temperatures when she vanished.

The case took a bizarre turn last year after Powell’s father, Steve, was arrested for investigation of voyeurism and possessing child pornography. Josh was living at his father’s home at the time, and a judge gave Susan Powell’s parents custody of the boys.

On Feb. 1, Josh Powell was ordered to undergo a psychosexual evaluation. The order came during a hearing about the custody status of his two young boys, who were placed in the custody of his in-laws, Chuck and Judy Cox, last fall

Michael Powell, the brother of Josh Powell, also recently launched a website accusing the Coxes of willfully “maiming” one of the boys, and saying the children are in imminent danger.

Sgt. Mike Powell of the West Valley City Police Department in Utah, which is handling the investigation into Susan Powell’s disappearance, said it was too soon to say how Josh Powell’s death may impact their probe.

“Quite frankly, this has obviously quickly unfolded up in Washington and we’re obviously just working through the details ourselves here,” Powell said Sunday.

“We are in contact with authorities,” Powell added. “It’s obviously an ongoing situation in Washington at this point.”

by KING 5 NewsPosted on February 5, 2012 at 1:31 PMUpdated today at 3:08 PM

GRAHAM, Wash. – Fire officials say three bodies have been found after an explosion and fire at the home of Josh Powell, whose wife Susan remains missing.

Pierce County Sheriff's officials say the bodies are believed to be Josh Powell and his two children.Graham Deputy Fire Chief Gary Franz said the explosion occurred moments after a Child Protective Services worker brought the two boys to the home for a supervised visit.

He said Powell let the boys in the house, then blocked the social worker from entering. The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and the home exploded.

Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and discovered the bodies. The home was completely destroyed.A lawyer for Josh Powell told the Associated Press he received a three-word email from his client just minutes before the explosion. It said, "I'm sorry, goodbye."

Attorney Jeffrey Bassett said the email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, but he didn't see it until two hours later, when others informed him of the blast.

Officials said it appeared that an accelerant was used.

“This is pure evil. This was not a tragedy. This is the murder of two young children," said Paul Pastor, Pierce Co. Sheriff.

On Wednesday, a Washington judge ruled that the children must remain in the custody of Susan Powell's parents. The judge further said she won't consider returning the two boys to their father until he undergoes a psycho-sexual evaluation.

Powell has been attempting to regain custody.

The children have been living with Chuck and Judy Cox since Josh Powell's father Steven was arrested on child porn and voyeurism charges last fall.

The judge continued Powell's twice weekly supervised visits with the boys.

Susan Powell vanished in December 2009 at age 28.

Per Art's above link. OMG!!! My heart breaks for the Cox's. I hope this BASTARD burns in the pit fires of hell!!

_________________Prayers for our little HaLeigh Cummings, wherever she may be!!

GRAHAM, Wash.—Washington police say Josh Powell and his two young sons have been killed in an explosion at the Powells' Graham, Wash., home.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Office confirmed to FOX 13 that Josh Powell and his two sons were killed in a planned, intentional explosion Sunday afternoon at the Graham home of Steven Powell.

Powell children to remain in Cox custody; Josh to undergo psycho-sexual evaluation, polygraph

A lawyer for Josh Powell told the Associated Press he received a three-word email from his client just minutes before Powell and his two boys died in a house explosion. It said, "I'm sorry, goodbye."

Attorney Jeffrey Bassett tells The Associated Press the email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, but he didn't see it until two hours later, when others informed him of the blast. He says he knew Josh was upset after being ordered to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation recently, but he didn't see this coming.

CNN reports that a case worker had just dropped off Powell's sons at the home for a supervised visit at around 12:45 p.m. Washington time.

As the children got close to the door, Powell somehow got them inside but prevented the case worker from getting in as well, Graham, Washington, Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Gary Franz told CNN.

The case worker reported smelling something similar to gas, said Franz. A short time later, the house exploded.

The unstable condition of the residence on Sunday afternoon was hindering firefighters' efforts to get inside and look for victims, including possibly Powell himself. Franz said there are concerns that the house could collapse.

Police say they don't believe anyone else was in the home at the time.

Det. Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office said that this was not the first visit between Josh and the two boys and the visit did not seem any different than previous visits.

Josh Powell had been in the midst of a custody battle with the parents of his missing wife Susan Cox Powell. A custody hearing earlier this week ruled that the two boys would remain in the custody of Chuck and Judy Cox, Susan's parents, but Josh would get visitation. He would also be required to to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation and a polygraph.

West Valley City Police Chief Buzz Nielson says detectives will be heading to Washington tonight. He will head up tomorrow.

Nielsen says that the case against Powell is mostly circumstantial, but they were making progress. He believes Josh did kill Susan. They will now try to get a judge to release information on Susan Cox Powell now that Josh is dead.

Josh Powell was the only person-of-interest in the Dec. 2009 disappearance of Susan.

Stay tuned to Fox13now.com and Fox 13 News on Facebook and Twitter for more as it becomes available.

Some of the articles may be duplicates. W/go back later and delete if they are. This is the thread for all news on this horrific MURDER!!!!! Am trying to find all I can on this. Thank you for calling me, Linda Marie!!

_________________Prayers for our little HaLeigh Cummings, wherever she may be!!

Josh Powell, who has been implicated in the disappearance of his wife, was killed along with his two sons in an explosion Sunday at Powell's home in Graham, Pierce County authorities said.

By Amy MartinezSeattle Times staff reporter

The home of Josh Powell in Graham on fire on Feb. 5, 2011. Pierce County sheriff's deputies say they believe that Josh Powell, the husband of a Utah woman who has been missing since 2009, and their two young boys were killed in the explosion.

Pierce County sheriff's deputies say they believe Josh Powell, the husband of a Utah woman who has been missing since 2009, and their two young boys were killed in a home explosion in Graham Sunday afternoon.

A case worker had just dropped the boys off at Powell's home for a supervised visitation.

The case worker "was forced out, and an explosion happened shortly thereafter," said Ed Troyer, spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

All three bodies have been recovered, and although investigators are awaiting verification by the medical examiner's office, they believe the dead are Josh Powell and his sons, Charlie, 7 and Braden, 5.

The Associated Press reported that Josh Powell's lawyer received an email from him shortly before the explosion, saying: "I'm sorry, goodbye."

The sheriff's office is treating the explosion as an intentional act, Troyer said.

The house, at 8119 189th St. Court East, is considered unstable, but the flames are out, and no other nearby properties are in danger, Troyer said. The explosion was reported around 12:30 p.m.

While Powell has not been arrested or charged in his wife's disappearance, he has been a person of interest in the case.

Susan Powell was reported missing Dec. 7, 2009. Josh Powell told police he last saw his wife around midnight, when he put their sons in the family's minivan and took them on a late-night camping trip in Utah's west desert.

Just last week, a judge ordered that Powell's sons remain in the custody of their grandparents, Chuck and Judy Cox.

The boys were removed from Josh Powell's custody on Sept. 22, the same day Josh Powell's father, Steve Powell, with whom the three were living, was arrested and charged for possessing child pornography.

Josh Powell has denied any role in his wife's disappearance and recently asked the judge to move his sons to a neutral caretaker, claiming his missing wife's parents — who have publicly implicated Josh Powell in their daughter's disappearance — are turning their two sons against him.

A powerful house explosion killed the husband of a Utah woman who has been missing for two years, and his two young sons Sunday, moments after the boys arrived for a visit that was supposed to be supervised by a social worker.

The Child Protective Services worker brought the two boys to Josh Powell's home, and Powell let his sons inside — but then blocked the social worker from entering, Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz told The Associated Press.

The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and moments later the home exploded. What's left of the house was still smoking Sunday afternoon, and fire crews were mopping up the scene.

"Everything we know right now, this has become a crime scene," Franz said.

It was a horrific end to a long, bizarre tale. Josh Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife from their West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009. He claimed he had taken the boys on a midnight excursion in freezing temperatures when she vanished.

The children, 4 and 6, had been living with Susan Powell's parents since Josh Powell's father Steven was arrested on child porn and voyeurism charges last fall. On Wednesday, a judge had denied an attempt by Josh Powell to regain custody, saying she wouldn't consider returning the two boys to their father until he underwent a psycho-sexual evaluation.

The case took a bizarre turn last year after Powell's father, Steve, was arrested for investigation of voyeurism and possessing child pornography. Josh was living at his father's home at the time, and a judge gave Susan Powell's parents custody of the boys.

"It's the most horrifying thing you can imagine happening," said lawyer Steve Downing, who represented Susan Powell's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, in the custody fight. "The Coxes are absolutely devastated. They were always very fearful of him doing something like this, and he did it."

Jeffrey Bassett, who represented Josh Powell in the custody case, said he received a three-word email from his client just minutes before Powell and his two boys died in a house explosion. It said, "I'm sorry, goodbye."

The email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, about 10 minutes before the explosion, but he didn't see it two hours later, when others told him Josh and the boys had been killed. He said he knew Josh was upset after being ordered to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation recently, but he didn't see this coming.

Sgt. Mike Powell of the West Valley City Police Department in Utah, which is handling the investigation into Susan Powell's disappearance, said it was too soon to say how Josh Powell's death may impact their probe.

"Quite frankly, this has obviously quickly unfolded up in Washington and we're obviously just working through the details ourselves here," Powell said Sunday.

"We are in contact with authorities," Powell added. "It's obviously an ongoing situation in Washington at this point."

GRAHAM, Wash. (AP) – A powerful house explosion killed the husband of a Utah woman who has been missing for two years, and his two young sons Sunday, moments after the boys arrived for a visit that was supposed to be supervised by a social worker.

A Pierce County Sheriff's deputy and Graham Firefighters work around the smoldering remains of a house near Fredrickson, Wash. on Sunday, where the bodies of Josh Powell and his two sons were found.

A Pierce County Sheriff's deputy and Graham Firefighters work around the smoldering remains of a house near Fredrickson, Wash. on Sunday, where the bodies of Josh Powell and his two sons were found.

The Child Protective Services worker brought the two boys to Josh Powell's home, and Powell let his sons inside — but then blocked the social worker from entering, Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz told The Associated Press.

The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and moments later the home exploded. What's left of the house was still smoking Sunday afternoon, and fire crews were mopping up the scene.

"Everything we know right now, this has become a crime scene," Franz said.

It was a horrific end to a long, bizarre tale. Josh Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife from their West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009. He claimed he had taken the boys on a midnight excursion in freezing temperatures when she vanished.

The children, 4 and 6, had been living with Susan Powell's parents since Josh Powell's father Steven was arrested on child porn and voyeurism charges last fall. On Wednesday, a judge had denied an attempt by Josh Powell to regain custody, saying she wouldn't consider returning the two boys to their father until he underwent a psycho-sexual evaluation.

By Elaine Thompson, APA lawyer for Josh Powell says he received an email from his client minutes before the explosion. It said, “I’m sorry, goodbye.”

The case took a bizarre turn last year after Powell's father, Steve, was arrested for investigation of voyeurism and possessing child pornography. Josh was living at his father's home at the time, and a judge gave Susan Powell's parents custody of the boys."It's the most horrifying thing you can imagine happening," said lawyer Steve Downing, who represented Susan Powell's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, in the custody fight. "The Coxes are absolutely devastated. They were always very fearful of him doing something like this, and he did it."

Jeffrey Bassett, who represented Josh Powell in the custody case, said he received a three-word email from his client just minutes before Powell and his two boys died in a house explosion. It said, "I'm sorry, goodbye."The email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, about 10 minutes before the explosion, but he didn't see it two hours later, when others told him Josh and the boys had been killed. He said he knew Josh was upset after being ordered to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation recently, but he didn't see this coming.

Sgt. Mike Powell of the West Valley City Police Department in Utah, which is handling the investigation into Susan Powell's disappearance, said it was too soon to say how Josh Powell's death may impact their probe."Quite frankly, this has obviously quickly unfolded up in Washington and we're obviously just working through the details ourselves here," Powell said Sunday.

"We are in contact with authorities," Powell added. "It's obviously an ongoing situation in Washington at this point."

An explosion and fire Sunday tore through the house of Josh Powell, long under investigation in the disappearance of his wife, Susan, apparently killing Powell and the couple's two young boys.

Authorities said the small house near Fredrickson, Wash., burst into flames moments after a social worker dropped off the two boys at the home for what was to have been a supervised visit.

According to Graham County Fire and Rescue officials, the social worker had dropped off the boys, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, but she was prevented from entering. The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and the home exploded.

"She moved away from the house, a very smart move on her part, and moments to minutes later, the house exploded," Graham County fire and rescue spokesman Gary Franz told the Los Angeles Times.

He said "credible reports" from witnesses suggested that the Powell children were inside the home. Fire officials found the bodies of an adult and two children, who are now assumed to be Powell and his sons, Franz said.

"Everything points to Josh Powell and his two sons," he said.

He said Pierce County sheriff's officials are treating the home as "a crime scene."

Images of the home showed a smoking, blackened hulk with the charred frame of a vehicle standing in what was once a garage.

Powell has been a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife, who was last seen on a snowy night in December 2009 at the home the couple then shared with their children in Utah. Powell said he took his children on a midnight camping trip -- despite the snowstorm -- and returned to find her gone.

Powell took the boys to live with him and his father in Washington state, but lost custody to Susan Powell's parents after thousands of sexually explicit pictures and videos of women and young girls were discovered on the computer of Josh Powell's father, Steven Powell.

Josh Powell had been trying to regain custody of the boys but suffered a setback last week when a Washington state judge ruled that he must first undergo a psychosexual evaluation, based on the images found in the home.

The long, bizarre case of a Utah woman missing for two years took a horrific turn Sunday when a powerful house explosion killed the woman's husband and his two young sons, moments after the boys arrived for a visit that was supposed to be supervised by a social worker.

Authorities say it appears the husband, Josh Powell, blew the house up on purpose.

The Child Protective Services worker brought the two boys to Powell's home, and Powell let his sons inside — but then blocked the social worker from entering, Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz told The Associated Press.

The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and moments later the home exploded. What's left of the house was still smoking Sunday afternoon, and fire crews were mopping up the scene.

Sgt. Ed Troyer, Pierce County sheriff's spokesman, said emails Powell sent authorities seemed to confirm the Powell planned the deadly blast. Troyer didn't elaborate on the contents of the emails.

Jeffrey Bassett, who represented Powell in the custody case, said he received a three-word email from his client just minutes before Powell and the two boys died. It said, "I'm sorry, goodbye."

The email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, about 10 minutes before the explosion, but he didn't see it until two hours later, when others told him Josh and the boys had been killed. He said he knew Josh was upset after being ordered to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation recently, but he didn't see this coming.

Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife Susan from their West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009. He claimed he had taken the boys on a midnight excursion in freezing temperatures when she vanished.

The children, 5 and 7, had been living with Susan Powell's parents since Josh Powell's father Steven was arrested on child porn and voyeurism charges last fall. On Wednesday, a judge had denied an attempt by Josh Powell to regain custody, saying she wouldn't consider returning the two boys to their father until he underwent a psycho-sexual evaluation.

"It's the most horrifying thing you can imagine happening," said lawyer Steve Downing, who represented Susan Powell's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, in the custody fight. "The Coxes are absolutely devastated. They were always very fearful of him doing something like this, and he did it."

Bassett said he represented Powell free of charge because "every parent deserves the right to an attorney." Powell called or emailed him at least once a day, and often more than that, and in their conversations "he never once admitted doing anything regarding Susan. In fact, he denied it."

Sgt. Mike Powell of the West Valley City Police Department in Utah, which is handling the investigation into Susan Powell's disappearance, said it was too soon to say how Josh Powell's death may impact their probe.

"Quite frankly, this has obviously quickly unfolded up in Washington and we're obviously just working through the details ourselves here," Powell said Sunday.

"We are in contact with authorities," Powell added. "It's obviously an ongoing situation in Washington at this point."

Kirk Graves, 39, of West Jordan, Utah, Josh Powell's brother-in-law, said he and his wife, Jennifer, were stunned by the news. (Jennifer Powell Graves is Josh Powell's sister.)

"It's a shock. A total complete shock," he said. "We never contemplated the idea he would do something like this. You just don't expect it from a father."

Kirk Graves said he and his wife think Josh Powell deliberately set off the explosion to kill him and his sons.

"His world was falling apart around him and he was going to lose his boys and get arrested for Susan's disappearance," he said. "He's a narcissist and he has no love for anyone but himself.

Can't wait to hear what Daddio has to say about this. Maybe he should wrap his underwear around his throat until he can't breathe. We know what happened to Susan. She was murdered and disposed of. We just don't know all the details.

Josh also knew he could never pass that upcoming psycho-sexual exam...

(CNN) -- Josh Powell and his two young sons -- whose wife and mother, respectively, went missing more than two years ago -- were killed early Sunday afternoon in an explosion at their home in Washington state, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said that authorities have not definitively identified the bodies, but "we believe it is" Powell and his two children."Our guys have spent a lot of time and effort and blood, sweat and tears in this case," said Troyer. "We have detectives who are close with the kids, ... and know them. The whole thing is just sad."

A foster-care case worker had brought Powell's two boys to the residence for a visit, said Troyer and Graham, Washington, Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Gary Franz.As the children got close to the door, Powell "dragged" them inside but prevented the case worker from getting in as well, according to Troyer.

The case worker reported smelling something similar to gas, said Franz. About two minutes later, as she was calling her supervisor, the house exploded."All the walls in the house were on fire, almost immediately," neighbor Ryan Mickle told CNN affiliate KIRO, adding that the blast "shook my whole house." "I didn't hear anybody inside. It was quite a scene."

Authorities first heard of the explosion in nearby Puyallup around 12:15 p.m. (3:15 p.m. ET), according to Troyer.

By 3:30 p.m., the fire was still "burning hot" and the bodies had not been taken out of the house, he added.The unstable condition of the gutted residence was hindering firefighters' efforts, as there are concerns the house could collapse, Franz said.

"We do not believe there are any other victims," he said, besides the three located thus far.

Troyer said the sheriff's department has copies of an e-mail that reportedly says, "I am sorry, goodbye," and that was sent to Jeffrey Bassett, a Washington lawyer who has been representing Powell, purportedly from Powell shortly before the explosion.

He said authorities haven't confirmed the e-mail came from Powell, but "we have no reason to believe (the e-mail is) not from him."

Powell had entered a motion to have custody of his two children. The court denied that claim this week, Bassett told CNN.

Powell has said that he last saw his wife, Susan Powell-Cox, on a cold December night in 2009.

That night, he said that he and his two sons -- then ages 2 and 4 -- left after midnight to go camping in below-freezing weather in a desert area in Tooele County, Utah. Powell-Cox's sister eventually reported the mother, who would now be 29 years old, as missing.

A month later, Powell and his children moved from Utah to the state of Washington.

While there have been no arrests or charges filed related to his wife's appearance, Josh Powell has been identified as the lone "person of interest," according to Sgt. Mike Powell -- no relation to Josh or Susan Powell-Cox -- with the West Valley City, Utah, police.

The woman has not been found.

Since September 2011, Josh Powell has been engaged in ongoing custody battle with his wife's parents Judith and Charles Cox, according to Washington state court records.

As part of the investigation after Susan Powell-Cox's disappearance, authorities last year searched a house in Washington state where Powell, his two sons and his father, Steven Powell, were living. In the course of the search, detectives from West Valley City "discovered numerous images and recordings of adult and juvenile females," according to a release from the Pierce County sheriff's department.

Steven Powell subsequently was arrested, in September, and charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.

As of Sunday, Steven Powell was still in custody on those charges in Pierce County, according to official records posted online.

Susan Powell Is Still Missing, Her Husband, Josh Powell and Two Sons Die in Home Explosion

Posted on February 5th, 2012 by Jan Barrett

Just recently the husband of a missing woman, Susan Powell from Utah, lost a custody battle of their two children, ages 5 and 7. Susan’s Mother and Father were given custody and Josh Powell was ordered by the courts to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation which police say he was very upset about. Josh had lost custody of the children after thousands of pictures and videos was found on Josh’s father, Steven Powell’s computer. Josh had moved with the children to Washington from Utah to live with his father.

According to CNN, a case worker was dropping the children off at Powell’s residence for a supervised visit. Somehow, Josh managed to pull the kids inside once they got close to the door and kept the case worker from entering his home, in Graham, Washington.. The case worker called for help especially after she reported something similar to the smell of gas and before anyone else could arrive, the house exploded.

The L.A. Times is reporting that fire officials found the bodies of an adult and two children which they are assuming to be that of Josh Powell and his two sons.

An attorney for Josh Powell, Jeffrey Bassett, claims he received an email from Josh just minutes before the explosion saying, “I’m sorry, goodbye.”

Bassett says that the email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday but unfortunately it was two hours later before he saw it when someone told him about the explosion.

West Valley City Police Chief, Buzz Nielson said that detectives will be heading to Washington tonight and he will be going there tomorrow. So far according to Nielson, the case of the missing woman is so far mostly circumstantial but there were making progress in the case. He personally does believe that Josh killed his wife. He also said that they are going to try to get a judge to release information on Susan Cox Powell since Josh is now dead.

As of right now Josh Powell was the only person of interest in the disappearance of his wife, Susan Cox Powell, who disappeared in December 2009. Josh told the police he had taken the boys on a midnight camping trip with freezing temperatures and when he came home the next day his wife was gone. Later claims were that she left him and the kids for another man but there has never been any proof of that.

Kirk Graves, Josh Powell’s brother in law said he and his wife were shocked when they heard of the explosion. “It’s a complete shock,” said Graves. “We never contemplated the idea he would do something like this. You just don’t expect it from a father.”

He also added that he and his wife both think Josh set off the explosion on purpose in order to kill himself along with the two boys. “His world was falling apart around him and he was going to lose his boys and get arrested for Susan’s disappearance,” said Graves. “He’s a narcissist and he has no love for anyone but himself.”

This is indeed a sad case. Those two boys got caught in the middle of a terrible situation and now through no fault of their own, they have lost their life now because of it. Will this effect the ongoing investigation of the disappearance of Susan? Well I guess we will just have to wait and find out. I sure wish they could find her body if she is dead, so her family can get some closure in this. I can’t even imagine what they are going through now. My thoughts and prayers are with them all. May God be with them.

In what police are calling a murder-suicide, Josh Powell and his two sons are believed dead from an explosion and fire at Josh's home. The tragic incident happened this afternoon.

This is a horrible way for the Susan Powell case to conclude. In December 2009, mom of two Susan Powell went missing. The same night she went missing, her husband Josh took their two young boys camping. In the middle of winter. Since then, the investigation has dragged up the most sickening load of gruesome details, implicating both Josh and his father, Steven Powell in what investigators believe to be the murder of Susan.

The boys had been in the custody of their maternal grandparents. Meanwhile, Josh had been ordered to undergo psycho-sexual evaluation. Reportedly Josh was angry both about the custody arrangement and his impending evaluation. But today a case worker brought the boys for a "supervised" visit with Josh at Steven's home. According to the reports, Josh somehow blocked the case worker, who is said to have smelled gas, from entering the home, and minutes later the house exploded.

Just before the explosion that took the family's lives, Josh's lawyer received an email from him saying simply, "I'm sorry, goodbye."

More than anything else, this story is incredibly sad. Charlie, age 7, and Braden, age 5, should never have lost their mother. And they should never had died so young. I'm just stick to my stomach over this. I was so relieved when Charlie and Braden were put in Susan's parents' care. And I was hoping that the police were getting closer to solving the case. I think this implicates Josh strongly in his wife's disappearance. He will never have to answer for it, though. His death slams the door on justice.

Josh Powell, who has been implicated in the disappearance of his wife, was killed along with his two sons in an explosion Sunday at Powell's home in Graham, Pierce County authorities said.

By SarA Jean Green, Steve MiletichSeattle Times staff reporters

Officials say an explosion at a Washington state home has killed Josh Powell, the husband of a missing Utah woman, plus their two young sons. view full articleEditor's note:Commenting has been disabled because of the sensitive nature of this story.

GRAHAM, Pierce County — Josh Powell, the long-investigated husband of a woman who vanished from Utah in 2009, set his house on fire Sunday afternoon, killing himself and his two young boys moments after a caseworker brought them for a supervised visitation, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office said.

"The fire burned hot and it burned fast," said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ed Troyer, who described the fire as an intentional act that came just as Josh Powell sent an email to his attorney apologizing and saying goodbye.

Three bodies, believed to be Josh Powell and his sons, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, were found in the house, although the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office will need to make positive identifications, the authorities said. All were found in the same room.

Troyer called the deaths "a double murder-suicide."

"What happened here was a deeply wrong thing," Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor told reporters near the house. "It was an act of evil. Do not call it a tragedy because that sanitizes it. This was a terrible act of murder involving two young children."

Powell had lost custody of the boys after his father was arrested last year for allegedly possessing child pornography in another house they previously shared. However, he was allowed supervised visitation.

About noon, Troyer said the caseworker, a state contract worker from Foster Care Resource Network, brought the boys for a scheduled visit to Josh Powell's house, two blocks from where he used to live and that was set up for visitations. She was assigned to the children and had previously brought them to their father without incident, Troyer said.

Josh Powell answered the door and pulled the boys inside and slammed the door and locked it, Troyer said.

The caseworker, after being denied entry into the house, immediately began banging on the house's doors and windows and called 911.

The caseworker reported the fire started within seconds, he said.

The first 911 call was at 12:13 p.m., followed by other calls.

Graham Fire and Rescue responded within three minutes from a station six blocks away, finding the house fully engulfed in flames with no chance to save those inside, Troyer said.

The fire marshal will determine the exact cause of the fire.

Troyer said Utah authorities might have been preparing criminal charges against Josh Powell in connection with his wife's disappearance in December 2009, but did not give details.

The Associated Press reported that Josh Powell's lawyer received an email from him shortly before the fire, saying: "I'm sorry, goodbye."

Attorney Jeffrey Bassett told The Associated Press the email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, but he didn't see it until two hours later, when others informed him of the fire. He says he knew Powell was upset after a judge last week ordered him to undergo a psychosexual evaluation, but he didn't see this coming.

Troyer said email and text messages from Josh Powell's account were sent to a number of people who he didn't identify. He said investigators had no reason to doubt that Powell wrote them.

The house, at 8119 189th St. Court E., was considered unstable, and as of 4 p.m. firefighters were still mopping up. Authorities began removing the bodies at about 5:30 p.m.

Some people reported hearing popping sounds that sounded like gunshots at the time of the fire, while others described the noise as coming from the fire, Troyer said.

While Powell had not been arrested or charged in his wife's disappearance, he has been a person of interest in the case from the start.

Susan Powell was reported missing Dec. 7, 2009. Josh Powell told police he last saw his wife around midnight, when he put their sons in the family's minivan and took them on a late-night camping trip in Utah's west desert in freezing temperatures

Powell then moved back to the Puyallup area, where both his father and Susan Powell's parents live.

The boys were removed from Josh Powell's custody last Sept. 22, the same day Josh Powell's father, Steven Powell, with whom the three were living, was arrested and charged with possessing child pornography. Temporary custody of the children was awarded by a judge to their grandparents, Chuck and Judy Cox of Puyallup.

Last week, a judge ordered that the boys remain in the custody of the grandparents.

Josh Powell has denied any role in his wife's disappearance and recently asked the judge to move his sons to a neutral caretaker, claiming his missing wife's parents — who have publicly implicated Josh Powell in their daughter's disappearance — were turning their two sons against him.

Chuck and Judy Cox declined to comment on Sunday.

Attorney Anne Bremner, who is representing the Cox family, said the Cox family has asked for time to grieve before speaking to the media.

Bremner learned about the deaths from a reporter in Salt Lake City. She then called Chuck Cox, who drove to Powell's house

"It's unspeakable what he learned. It's horrific," Bremner said. "They've lost everything. They've lost their daughter. They've lost their grandkids."

In Utah, West Valley City Police Chief Buzz Nielson told Fox13 News he was sending a team of police officers up to Washington Sunday and he would go up on Monday.

Troyer said sheriff's investigators were coordinating with West Valley City police, and that his office was waiting for a search warrant for the burned house.

Steven Powell, who remains in jail in Pierce County, has been notified of what had occurred Sunday, Troyer said. He has been placed on suicide watch, he said.

Troyer said the caseworker was "traumatized," and that his detectives who had previously worked on the case were devastated.

"I feel bad for everybody so... many people put so much work into this," Troyer said. "For this to end like this, I just feel bad for the boys."

Of Josh Powell, Troyer said, "I wish he would have taken himself out and left the boys alone."

Troyer said some people strongly believe that Powell is responsible for the disappearance of his wife.

Denise Revels Robinson, assistant secretary of Children's Administration for the Department of Social and Health Services, issued a statement, saying, "All of us at the Department of Social and Health Services were shocked and deeply saddened by reports that Josh Powell had taken his own life and that of his two young children, Charles, 7, and Braden, 5."

Robinson said the children were taken to the house as part of an ongoing court-ordered visitation schedule.

Robinson said at the appropriate time the department will conduct a standard formal child fatality review.

On her Facebook page, Susan Powell's best friend in West Valley City, Kiirsi Hellewell, expressed her grief, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

"It's true. Feels like life is over," Hellewell said.

Denise Cox, the boys' aunt, told The Tribune Sunday she is in shock and was headed to her parents' house on Sunday afternoon.

Cox had just seen her nephews at her parents' Saturday and joked about leaving the house because Charlie commanded her to come back to see him on Sunday. She said it was funny that he didn't ask her to come back, he told her to — which the family thought was cute.

On Thursday, Braden Powell spent time with Cox at her Washington house and was affectionate, she said.

"He gave me a hug and a kiss and said 'I love you' before he left," she said. "It was the best feeling ever and almost brought tears to my eyes. I'm so glad they will be around for a while. I can't imagine being separated from them again."

CNN) -- Josh Powell and his two young sons -- whose wife and mother, respectively, went missing more than two years ago -- were killed early Sunday afternoon in an explosion at their home in Washington state, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said that a medical examiner has not definitively identified the bodies, but "we believe it is the three of them."

"This was all on him," Troyer said of Powell and the blast. "He set this up, he did it."

A foster-care case worker had brought Powell's two boys to the residence for a visit, said Troyer and Graham, Washington, Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Gary Franz.As the children got close to the door, Powell "dragged" them inside but prevented the case worker from getting in as well, according to Troyer.

The case worker reported smelling something similar to gas, said Franz. About two minutes later, as she was calling her supervisor, the house exploded.

"All the walls in the house were on fire, almost immediately," neighbor Ryan Mickle told CNN affiliate KIRO, adding that the blast "shook my whole house." "I didn't hear anybody inside. It was quite a scene."

Authorities first heard of the explosion in Puyallup around 12:15 p.m. (3:15 p.m. ET), according to Troyer.

By 4 p.m., the fire was still "burning hot," smoke continued to rise from it, and the bodies had not been taken out of the house, he added.

The unstable condition of the gutted residence was hindering firefighters' efforts, as there are concerns the house could collapse, Franz said.

"We do not believe there are any other victims," he said, besides the three located thus far.

There were no other injuries and no other houses in the neighborhood in Puyallup, which is about 10 miles southeast of Tacoma, appeared to be damaged, said Troyer. He added a chaplain is at the scene with the social worker, who he described as physically OK but emotionally devastated by the blast.

Troyer said the sheriff's department has copies of an e-mail that reportedly says, "I am sorry, goodbye," and that was sent to Jeffrey Bassett, a Washington lawyer who has been representing Powell, purportedly from Powell shortly before the explosion.

He said authorities haven't confirmed the e-mail came from Powell, but "we have no reason to believe (the e-mail is) not from him."

This week, a Washington court denied a motion from Powell to gain custody of his two children, Bassett told CNN. Troyer said a judge also ordered Powell to "go through different types of evaluations and counseling," though supervised visits could continue.

Powell has said that he last saw his wife, Susan Powell-Cox, on a cold December night in 2009.

That night, he said that he and his two sons -- then ages 2 and 4 -- left after midnight to go camping in below-freezing weather in a desert area in Tooele County, Utah. Powell-Cox's sister eventually reported the mother, who would now be 29 years old, as missing.

A month later, Powell and his children moved from Utah to the state of Washington.

While there have been no arrests or charges filed related to his wife's appearance, Josh Powell has been identified as the lone "person of interest," according to Sgt. Mike Powell -- no relation to Josh or Susan Powell-Cox -- with the West Valley City, Utah, police.

The woman has not been found.

Through their attorney Anne Bremner, Powell-Cox's family issued a statement Sunday asking "for time, privacy and prayers after today's horrific events."

Since September 2011, Josh Powell has been engaged in ongoing custody battle with his wife's parents Judith and Charles Cox, according to Washington state court records.

As part of the investigation after Powell-Cox's disappearance, authorities last year searched a house in Washington state where Powell, his two sons and his father, Steven Powell, were living. In the course of the search, detectives from West Valley City "discovered numerous images and recordings of adult and juvenile females," according to a release from the Pierce County sheriff's department.

Steven Powell subsequently was arrested, in September, and charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.

He was still in custody on those charges in Pierce County as of Sunday, according to official records posted online.The house that blew up was on a cul-de-sac, about four blocks from the one that had been searched in 2011, Troyer said.

Authorities involved with the case were struggling Sunday to come to grips with what had happened, from the violence of the explosion and the two boys being caught up in it.

Troyer said many law enforcement agents in Washington state have worked with their counterparts in Utah on the Susan Powell-Cox case, as well as spent time playing, coloring and getting to know her sons.

"Our guys have spent a lot of time and effort and blood, sweat and tears on this case," said Troyer. "We have detectives who are close with the kids, ... and know them. The whole thing is just sad."

Dec. 6, 2009, noon — Susan Cox Powell, 28, and her two sons attend church services at the Hunter 36th LDS Ward, and then walk home with friend Kiirsi Hellewell.

Dec. 6, afternoon — Neighbor JoVonna Owings visits the Powell's West Valley City home on Sunday afternoon to visit with Susan. The family had eaten pancakes and eggs for dinner. Susan, who was reportedly feeling ill, takes a nap at about 5 p.m. Owings left, as did Josh Powell, who said he was taking his two sons sledding.

Dec. 6, 8:30 p.m. — A neighbor saw Josh Powell as he returns home and parks in the garage of the Powell's West Valley City home.

Dec. 7, 12:30 a.m. — Josh Powell reports that he left his home with his two sons, then ages 2 and 4, to go camping at the Simpson Springs Campground, about 25 miles west of Vernon, in the remote west desert of Tooele County while Susan sleeps.

Dec. 7, 9 to 10 a.m. — The Powell's daycare provider becomes alarmed when the couple fails to drop off their sons on schedule and she could not reach either parent by cell phone or at their home. She contacts Josh Powell's mother and sister, who call police after they cannot locate the couple. Police break into the Powell's home and find no one there, but notice two fans blowing on a wet spot of the carpet in the home.

Dec. 7, 5 p.m. — Josh Powell and his sons return home. Powell is taken to the West Valley Police station for questioning.

Dec. 8, 11 a.m. — Susan's father, Chuck Cox, receives a telephone call from Josh Powell, who informs him that Susan is missing and that he is about to be interviewed by police again.

Dec. 9 — Police serve a search warrant on the Powell residence and remove boxes, bags and a computer.

Dec. 11 — Police report that snow hampers their search efforts in the Simpson Springs area of Tooele County.

Dec. 12 — Josh Powell, Chuck Cox and other family members gather outside the LDS Church's Hunter Central Stake Center to pray, sing hymns and start a 24-hour fast in hopes of Susan Cox Powell's safe return. A tearful Josh Powell does not speak. Chuck Cox says he is concerned about the focus on his son-in-law. That evening, Josh Powell joins an effort to hand out missing person fliers to fans attending a Jazz game.

Dec. 15 — Josh Powell provides a DNA sample to police. Josh Powell is labeled as a "person of interest" in the case of his wife's disappearance.

Dec. 17 — West Valley City police subpoena Salt Lake City TV stations for footage of interviews with Josh Powell taken days after his wife's disappearance.

Dec.18 — Josh Powell and his sons travel to Puyallup, Wash., to stay in the home of his father, Steven Powell, for the holidays.

Dec. 20 — Friends and family of Susan Cox Powell hold vigils in Utah and Puyallup, Wash., to keep attention focused on finding the missing woman.

Jan. 4, 2010 — Family and friends of Susan launch a social media campaign to spread word of the woman's disappearance on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Jan. 6 — Josh Powell and his brother, Michael Powell, arrive at the Powell's West Valley City home to pack the family's belongings. Friends say Josh Powell, who has been fired from his job, may be unable to keep the home and is moving to Puyallup.

Jan. 27 — Neighbors decorate the Powell home in West Valley City with dozens of purple ribbons, hearts and signs to bring renewed attention to Susan's case.

Jan. 28 — Josh Powell returns to West Valley City to make home repairs to his property, in order to rent it.

Jan. 29 — West Valley City police serve a search warrant on Josh Powell and seize the blue minivan he drove the night his wife disappeared.

Feb. 15 — The Cox family holds a news conference in Puyallup, Wash. Cox family members allege Susan had a physical altercation with Josh Powell and detail the couple's problems, citing controlling behavior of Josh Powell. They say Susan had suggested to family and friends she would end the relationship by her April 6 wedding anniversary if the relationship did not improve. The family also announces a nonprofit organization in Susan's name, aimed at helping families of missing persons.

April 10 — Volunteers search for Susan in the Simpson Springs area but turn up nothing.

Aug. 25 — West Valley City police say detectives have spent at least 6,850 man hours to date searching for Susan, at a cost of more than $150,000. Five of the department's 28 detectives are assigned full-time to investigating Powell's disappearance.

Sept. 10 — Chuck Cox and Ed Smart appear together in Utah as part of an effort to raise awareness for kidnapped children and promote legislation that would require that DNA samples be taken from people arrested on suspicion of a felony.

Dec. 6 — Josh Powell and his father, Steven, assert that Susan Cox Powell ran away with missing Utah man Steven Koecher, who disappeared in Nevada in December 2009. The Powells claim the pair ran off to Brazil, where Koecher had served an LDS mission, and they assert the missing duo may have married and started a new life together.

July 14, 2011 — Steven Powell appears on the Today Show, to announce his intention to publish Susan Cox Powell's teenage diary, which he says will show she was "sexually open."

Early August — Josh files restraining order against his father-in-law, forbidding Chuck Cox from approaching him or his boys.

Aug. 18 — West Valley City police report a break in the case and conduct a two-day search of abandoned mine shafts in Ely, Nev. Few other details are released.

Aug. 24 — Steven Powell tells national news that he was "in love" with Susan Cox Powell, and that she had been flirtatious and interacted "in sexual ways" with him.

Aug. 25 — Thirteen West Valley City investigators, with 10 from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, serve a search warrant on the Puyallup, Wash., home of Josh Powell and his father, Steven Powell. Boxes of videos, photographs and various computer equipment, as well as Susan's childhood diaries, were taken as evidence from the home.

Aug. 26 — A Washington judge grants a temporary restraining order prohibiting Steven Powell and anyone in his home, including Josh Powell, from publishing or distributing any of Susan Cox Powell's diaries.

Sept. 13 — Investigators conduct an 10-day search, using cadaver dogs, near Topaz Mountain in Juab County. Details of the search are not released.

Sept. 22 — Washington police arrest and charge 61-year-old Steven Powell with 14 counts of voyeurism and possession of child pornography, based on evidence seized from his home during August search. A judge orders the sons of Josh and Susan Cox Powell to be removed from the home and placed in protective custody.

Sept. 23 — Steven Powell pleads not guilty to charges, but remains in jail. A Washington judge rules that Susan Cox Powell's childhood diaries cannot be released to the public. Josh Powell files a 22-page response to the order. Chuck Cox files petition for custody of the young boys.

Sept. 27 — West Valley City police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen tells Deseret News that the missing person case is at the "tipping point" of being solved.

Oct. 6 — The mother of Josh Powell says her son is a "loving and very engaging father in the care of his sons." Terri Powell had never publicly commented about her son or her missing daughter-in-law's case.

Oct. 15 — Friends and family members of Susan Cox Powell celebrate her 30th birthday.

Oct. 27 — Steven Powell's trial is delayed until March 2012. He remains in jail.

Nov. 15 — In court filings, Chuck Cox says his grandsons are seeing therapists. One boy is having nightmares. He reports the boys are more obstinate and defiant after weekly visits with their father. Cox requests a copy of his son-in-law's court-ordered psychological evaluation.

Dec. 6 — Friends and family of Susan Cox Powell hold charity event in Utah, marking two years since her disappearance.

Dec. 7 — Josh Powell files a declaration in Washington court as part of ongoing custody battle for his two children. He says the boys are in the middle of a "very hostile war."

Jan. 30, 2012 — Josh Powell's brother, Michael Powell, launches a website accusing the Coxes of "maiming" one of the boys, alleging that the children are in danger.

Feb. 1 — A Washington judge orders Josh Powell to undergo a psychosexual evaluation, including a polygraph test. The order comes during a hearing about the custody status of Josh and Susan Cox Powell's two young boys, now ages 4 and 7.

Feb. 5 — Officials say Josh Powell and his sons are killed in an explosion inside Powell's Washington state home.